Annual Conference

AC 2020 – June 15-18 at Lakeside ChautauquaAnnual Conference 2020 continues our quadrennial theme Bearing Fruit that Lasts: Called, Committed, Connected. The focus on this year’s session is Connected. When we gather June 15-18 at Lakeside Chautauqua, we will underscore the importance of being connected to God and to our neighbors if we are to bear fruit by making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Midwest Mission Distribution TruckCollection trucks for Midwest Mission Distribution Center and Eastbrook Mission Barn will be parked in the South Gate Parking Lot off State Route 163. Donations will be accepted Sunday, June 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Monday, June 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16.

Young Adult Recharge House – June 14-18Adults 35 years of age and younger are invited to 314 Third Street during breaks at Annual Conference to recharge … your devices, your body (coffee, water, and snacks provided), and your soul with free Wi-Fi. For those who cannot stay for the week, come and spend a day together with East Ohio Young Adults at Lakeside.

General Conference

Information ForumThe recording of our March 7 East Ohio Conference General Conference 2020 Information Forum is available for viewing and download. Hundreds attended the presentation at Garfield Memorial UMC or watched with others at one of the 16 EOC ministry sites that offered public viewings of the livestream. Nearly 1,000 more people watched online as members of the EOC delegation and Bishop Tracy S. Malone gave leadership to the forum that presented the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.

The Protocol is one of the major proposals to be acted upon at GC 2020, but it does not represent a final decision for a course of action for The United Methodist Church. When General Conference receives this recommendation and proposed legislation in May, delegates will be able to adopt it, modify it, or do something different.

Camps & Retreat Ministries

Camp Aldersgate Open House – March 28Join us from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 for a chance to meet the staff and see all that Camp Aldersgate has to offer. Nestled amidst the hills on the shores of Leesville Lake, the beauty of the terrain at Camp Aldersgate is both awe-inspiring and humbling. The 1,000-acre lake provides ample room for campers and guests to explore on one of the camp’s canoes or on peddle, sail, or pontoon boats. Aldersgate’s waterfront includes a water trampoline, Jungle Jim, and splash mat. Site facilities include a tree house and cabins for summer use, and a beautiful, simple lodge and small retreat cottage for year-round use. Visit Camp Aldersgate online.

Camp Wanake Resurrection Egg Hunt & Camp Preview Day – April 4On Saturday, April 4 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. spend the afternoon at Wanake’s Resurrection Egg Hunt and Wanake Preview Day as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It’s an egg hunt all over camp, complete with more than 2,000 Resurrection eggs, candy, and prize eggs. Bring a friend! Admission is FREE! For more information, visit Camp Wanake online or call (330) 756-2333.

Camp Asbury Open House – April 5Lots of people say, “When I pull into Camp Asbury’s entrance, I feel like I’ve come home again.” Others say, “Camp Asbury is my home away from home.” Camp Asbury invites you to join us on Sunday, April 5 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. to tour the facilities, meet and talk with current and past summer staff members, get information about our summer camp programs, and find out why people say Asbury feels like home. Visit Camp Asbury online.

CYF, ReachOut, and Lakeside Institute are for YouthEach year, youth from around Ohio have the opportunity to gather at Malone University and Lakeside Chautauqua for great Christian community, in-depth Bible study, creative worship, mission projects, and fun activities. The beautiful campus of Malone University in Canton is the home of CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship). The gated community of Lakeside Chautauqua on the shore of Lake Erie is the long-standing place to gather for Lakeside Institute and ReachOut. Visit CYF, ReachOut, and Institute online.

Missions

UMVIM Journey to Guatemala – December 26, 2020 to January 2, 2021An informational meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on April 9 at Carrollton First UMC.

Team members on the mission journey to Guatemala will repair homes and participate in children’s programming in rural areas. Cost of the trip is approximately $2,500/person. Learn more about this journey by e-mailing team leaders the Rev. Kimberly Arbaugh and Doug Arbaugh.

UMVIM Team Leader Training – April 18United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Team Leader training is a great way to connect with others who have a heart for missions and to learn best practices for leading a team in a mission field. You will also learn about the many resources and mission sites available through The United Methodist Church to lead a mission journey. EOC Coordinator of Missions and Community Engagement the Rev. Kathy Dickriede will lead the 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. training session on Saturday, April 18 at Mentor UMC.

Disaster Response

Responding to Recent DisastersEast Ohio Conference Disaster Response leadership is in ongoing communication with United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the Tennessee Conference following the recent deadly storms in and around Nashville. As we pray for the people and the communities impacted by this disaster, and the dedicated men and women who are responding to it, we need to strive to respond in the proper way.

Pastoral Care

Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed?“It’s not like there is a shortage of possible things to be concerned about lately,” Diane Moreno Zerby, LISW-S, interim director of the office of Pastoral Care, wrote in a new resource post on the office of Pastoral Care website. “For example, the outcomes from General Conference in May, the future of the churches you serve, the challenges of shepherding congregations through this process, you and your family’s future, the coronavirus and how that impacts your congregation, community and yourself, politics and it’s an election year, all of which may compound other issues you may already have had on your plate. Maintaining a calm and non-anxious presence can be a challenge.”

Praying During Times of StressMoreno Zerby has also posted another resource that includes multiple tools we can use to aid us in prayer. One such tool is walking a labyrinth.

“The labyrinth is a meditation device with a single winding path from the edge to the center. The same path is used to return to the outside. Combining a number of even older symbols, including the circle, spiral and meander, the labyrinth represents the journey inward to our own true selves and back out into the everyday world. It is a tool which can connect us to God,” she wrote.

The office of Pastoral Care invites you to walk a labyrinth at its office on Mondays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., without needing an appointment. If those times are not convenient, please call the office at (330) 456-0486 to arrange a different time.

Credit Union

Enterprise Promotion Until June 14The United Methodist Financial Credit Union is partnering with Enterprise Car Sales to give our members a better vehicle-buying experience! Receive $400* when you purchase a vehicle with Enterprise and finance it through United Methodist Financial Credit Union from now through June 14, 2020. Contact one of our loan officers to discuss getting pre-approved today.

*Terms and Conditions. To receive the $400, you must purchase a vehicle with Enterprise Car Sales from February 14, 2020 through June 14, 2020, finance the vehicle with United Methodist Financial Credit Union, and make your first four payments on time. $200 will be placed in your Credit Union savings account within 30 days from the date of your purchase and an additional $200 if you make your first four payments on time. Borrowers who set up their loan payment by ACH will receive the $400 within 30 days of purchase.

Message in the Movies

The Invisible ManIn a beautifully composed and patiently paced opening scene, Cecilia (Moss) awakens in bed while her partner Adrian (Jackson-Cohen) continues to sleep. Carefully and quietly, Cecilia is planning her escape from Adrian’s luxurious home (and its downstairs laboratory). We don’t know much about their relationship, but something is clearly not working out; Cecilia needs a fresh start and escapes with the assistance of her sister Alice (Harriet Deer) to find refuge at the home of James, a longtime friend (and police officer) (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). Cecilia is shaken and haunted by the trauma of her past, afraid to venture out into the world.

As Cecilia makes slow progress, she receives news from Adrian’s brother Tom (Michael Dorman) that Adrian has committed suicide and has made her a primary beneficiary in his will. This seems like good news, and Cecilia hopes to help Sydney finance her college education. But creepy things are happening around her; blankets are pulled off the bed and lights flash. Cecilia is convinced that there is an invisible presence in the house.

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